


Follow the Sun

by Hllangel



Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Coming Out, Future Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-25
Updated: 2015-07-25
Packaged: 2018-04-11 03:17:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4419113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hllangel/pseuds/Hllangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Article looks great ! Can I take you to dinner to say thanks ? </i>
</p>
<p>  <i>Nick stares at the message for a few minutes, nodding along when Aimee prods him to, but he really has no idea how he should respond. Niall's about to come out publicly, and he wants to take Nick to dinner. </i></p>
<p>A few years from now, Niall asks Nick to do his coming out interview.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Follow the Sun

**Author's Note:**

  * For [becka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/becka/gifts).



> Thank you Becka for your wonderful prompts. I've been wanting to try my hand at Nick/Niall forever, and future fic and coming out fic are my twin siren songs, so here you go! Hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Many many thanks to F. who held my hand as I wrote this thing. To G. for the last minute beta. To gentleantics for organizing this thing and for being extremely patient with me as I took way too long to finish this. 
> 
> Title from _Ready to Run_. 
> 
> There's a tiny hint of a past near miss for Harry and Nick, so be careful with that if you're sensitive to them not being endgame.

"You're coming to my show next week, right?" Harry asks. 

" _Yes_ ," Nick says. He's answered this same question five times in the last five days, and countless times over the last year, once Harry had finally confessed to working on a solo project. Not that Nick had any doubt that he'd been doing it since about two days after One Direction's final show at the O2. 

"And the party after," Harry says. It's not a question this time. "And you don't get to claim you're old or have to get up early and leave. You've not hosted Breakfast for two years." 

"When did that ever stop me from staying at a party?" 

"Grace Jones," Harry says, promptly. "2014." He's obviously been waiting to pull that one out — one of the only times that had actually happened, and only because Nick hadn't actually _planned_ on the show going as late as it had. 

"It's been five years, Haz. Let it go. And besides, you woke me up the next morning when you came home ten minutes before my alarm." 

"Whatever. Just make sure you're there." 

"I wouldn't dare be anywhere else next weekend," Nick says. "What's going on, though? You've asked me the same thing every day this week. It's not like you to be this nervous." 

"I'm not!" Harry protests. Nick waits him out. "Okay, a bit. It'll be really weird being on stage without the lads. But that's also why you need to be there. Niall's got a favor to ask and I promised him you'd talk to him on Saturday." 

"My number's not a secret, Harry. You could have just given it to him. Don't have to ask for my permission first." 

"He wanted to talk in person," Harry says. He sounds almost shifty, like he's actively trying not to say something to Nick. Which is a bit weird, but Nick supposes he can be forgiven since he's a few days out from his album launch. "Just be sure you're there on Saturday, alright?" 

"I promise, Haz. Really." 

~*~ 

Nick finds Harry in his dressing room whilst the opening act are playing. There's someone with him on the sofa, heads bent close together, poring over something and giggling a lot. Nick leans over them and finds a tablet with an old One Direction video playing. He pokes Harry in the back of the neck. 

"Hiya." 

Harry jumps up and climbs over the top of the sofa to hug Nick hello, squeezing him tight. He really goes give the best hugs, especially now that he's grown into his shoulders and is slightly less like cooked spaghetti all over. 

"I'm glad you're here," Harry says. "Couldn't do this without you." 

"Think there's four others who would disagree with that," Nick says, tugging on Harry's hair. 

The guy on the sofa snorts. "Too right we do. Hi Grimmy."

Nick turns his attention to Harry's bandmate. "Niall, hiya. You all right?" He looks different these days, though Nick mostly knew him through _Heat_ and pictures on Harry's phone. "You look different. Good. I mean." 

Niall grins wide and stands up, holding out his hand for Nick's. "I lost the blond once we stopped touring. It was weird for me too, I'd had it since before I went on X Factor." 

"I think it suits you," Nick says. He's only got a fuzzy picture in his memory to compare it to, but he definitely looks good now. He's not as wide set as Harry, nor as tall, but he looks like a full grown adult now, which is different. One Direction's been over for a few years, but Nick's never really lost the habit of thinking of them as unruly puppies, even as he'd seen Harry grow out of that phase. 

"Suits going out and not being mobbed," Niall says. "Stopped getting recognized almost as soon as I lost the blond hair. Was nice, being able to be out without being screamed at." 

"Not for much longer," Harry says. "You've got your show. You should go back to blond so people recognize you again." 

"Show?" Nick asks. 

"Panel show on Sky 1. It's why I wanted to talk to you, actually." 

Someone with a clipboard knocks on the dressing room door and comes in without waiting for an answer. "You're needed downstairs, Harry. Breathe Naked have just finished." 

"Right." Harry turns to Niall and Nick. "Hands in for luck?" 

Niall immediately stretches his over Harry's. Nick hesitates. "I'm not part of your band." 

"Honorary sixth member. One night only," Harry says. "Come on, Grim. If you don't I'll slip off the stage and break my arm or sommat." 

Niall nods, so Nick lays his hand on top of Niall's. 

"Smash it," Niall says. Nick repeats him, since he has no idea what their rituals are, and bumps his shoulder into Harry's. Harry breaks their hands apart to hug them both at the same time and then bounces out the door. 

"We should probably go find our seats?" Nick suggests. It's not that he feels awkward around Niall, Nick can make conversation with a houseplant (and has, Aimee claims she has video of that somewhere. Nick doesn't actually doubt it), but he really doesn't know Niall at all. Also, the show's about to start, and Nick wouldn't miss one second of Harry on stage for anything. 

"I'll find you at the party after. Got a favor to ask," Niall says. 

~*~ 

Harry doesn't, in fact, slip or fall on stage, and by the time Nick sees Harry again after, he's three drinks in and can't stop smiling. Nick manages to congratulate him and get a whole thirty seconds of time with him before he's pulled away into yet another hug.

Niall finds him not long after that, chatting to Gemma next to the cake table. Nick's been debating a slice for about twenty minutes now, and there's still a piece with Harry's face on it, which Nick is contemplating purely for the Instagram he can make. He can make Gemma take the picture. 

In the end, Niall takes the piece that Nick's been eyeing and takes a huge bite of Harry's mouth before Nick can even ask him to slow down for the picture. 

"You've ruined it," he tells Niall.

Niall takes another bite. "Could always go take a bite of the real thing. Doesn't taste as good, though." 

"He'd probably like it more," Gemma says. 

"I don't want to know," Niall says. "I don't have to know anymore." 

"Tell me," Nick says. He always wants to know. 

"It's my _brother_ ," Gemma says, wrinkling her nose. "I'm leaving." She pushes off the wall and leaves them behind with a wave of her hand. 

"Never start anything you aren't prepared to finish," Nick says to her retreating back. Niall takes another bite of Harry's face. "So, what did you want to ask?"

"Well, I'm doing _Cut the Racket_ , and my publicist thinks it's time to start getting my name out again. Make sure people remember me as more than just Harry's backup singer." 

"We're between series of my chat show right now, though I could get you on when we start up again if you like?" 

"Sure, but I'm thinking a bit more near-term. Alana has set up a feature with Sport Magazine, and part of the deal is that I get to pick who does the interview. So, will you?" 

"I think Harry may have oversold me, to be honest." Nick says. He grabs a piece of cake, because why not. "I've never really been a writer. Better at just chatting to people, really. Radio was always good for that. So is telly." 

"I asked him for your number," Niall says. 

"Why?" Nick is genuinely curious. He's not really spoken to Niall since the last One Direction show in London, and that had just been a hello in the hallways backstage at the arena, between the performance and the parties. 

Niall shrugs. "I don't know that many people on the media side of things anymore, I mostly hang around in studios and write for other people these days. I know you don't write much, but I want to do this with someone I know. Someone I trust to tell things the way I want." 

Nick watches him for a minute. He can't really read anything on Niall's face, but he doesn't look overly nervous or apprehensive. Nick really isn't a writer, but he can always recruit Gellz to help him with the finished product. 

"Sure, let's do it." He digs his phone out of his pocket, unlocks it and hands it over. "Put your number in, and we'll set up a time. Next week, maybe?" 

"I have to check, but I can usually move things around pretty easily." He hands the phone back, open to a new text message to what must be Niall's number. 

"Now," Nick says, tucking his phone back into his pocket and throwing an arm around Niall's shoulders to pull him in. "Tell me the worst embarrassing stories you have about young Harold. He's got boring recently." 

Niall's smile is bright and wicked. 

~*~ 

It takes a few days of missed calls and texting, but Nick eventually shows up at Niall's door at noon on a Friday, about two weeks after Harry's show. He has no idea what to expect from Niall's house, but it definitely isn't what he finds. 

Finchy's crush on Niall had always been because he was a lad, someone you could go have a pint with, and Nick had assumed that his house would be laddy, probably a bit over the top and filled with expensive gadgets the way Harry fills his houses with art. 

Instead, he walks into a living room that isn't unlike his own; there's a large telly of course, but comfortable, homey sofas, a plush rug, shelves full of nicely-arranged awards. Clean, but lived in: there's a laptop on the coffee table, a guitar within easy reach of the sofa and something cooking that smells amazing. 

"Be with you in a sec," Niall says, hurrying back to the kitchen. "I've got food on and don't want it to burn." 

"Sure, take your time." Nick's got the whole afternoon free, not cleared specifically for this interview, but it's a nice coincidence. Especially now that he's learned that Niall's made him lunch. 

Niall doesn't let Nick help with the washing up, but after, Niall leads the way back outside, two beers in hand, and Nick takes out his recorder and notebook. He's an old hand at interviews, but usually they're geared towards a specific topic, some show or album or movie that's being promoted, and this is supposed to be a serious profile. 

"So, before we get started, Alana sent me a list of things she wants you to talk about, and I thought we should go over it?" 

"I got used to just being thrown into a junket back in the day, so just being able to do this at home is nice." 

"Always better to talk in comfortable places," Nick agrees. He invites reporters over or to his favorite pub or cafe whenever he can. 

"What's on the list?" 

"Your new show is the most important thing, but she also wants me to get at what you've been doing for the last few years. Projects you can talk about, that sort of thing. If you mention something that's not up for release yet, tell me and I'll keep it out. Any stories about the other people working on the show would be great, upcoming guests that you can announce, if there are any. She said anything personal is up to you, since the focus is mostly your work."

"You can ask whatever you want," Niall says, taking a gulp of his beer. "I'm an open book." 

Nick smiles. "So, you'll show me your sex swing when we do a tour of the rest of the house?" 

It's maybe a bit too forward, but Niall doesn't seem to mind. 

"Took it down last month," Niall grins. "I haven't got much of a love life recently. Broke up with my boyfriend a while back, haven't really met anyone since." 

Which, _what_? "Boyfriend?" Nick asks. 

Niall shrugs. "I met him on holiday in Spain over New Years, but it didn't really work once we got back to London. It was never anything serious anyway. I'm not exactly broken hearted over him, if you're asking." 

"That's good," Nick says, because he's got nothing else to say for the moment. He interviews people for a living, but he's not used to surprises like this at work. At least Nick is good at pulling himself together and getting on with it. "Sorry, I just had no idea." 

"I thought you knew I was gay? I thought Harry would tell you, at least. It's not exactly a secret. Not anymore." Niall rubs the back of his neck. 

"He just said you had a favor to ask, and was sort of shifty about making sure we'd meet up and talk at his show the other week. I should have known something was up." Nick laughs. "He's never like that." 

"That's why I wanted to call you in the first place." 

"What, you fancied me or something?" Nick speaks without thinking at all; it's what he'd say if they were live on radio or recording for telly. He's so well known for being full of himself, that he doesn't even think about where he is. This isn't his show, this is Niall's backyard, and, apparently, his coming out interview. He tries to backtrack. "Sorry, I don't really mean it."

Niall blushes a bit and looks away, which is more interesting than it probably should be, at this point. "No, I just — I remember when you were taking over the Breakfast show, and you came out and it was just a small thing, no fanfare. I couldn't have done anything like that then, and I didn't want to. But it's been a few years since we split, and I haven't really been hiding, and I don't plan on starting now."

"All right. So how do you want to do this?" Nick asks. "I can ask you if you've been dating, or just a general question about what you've been up to." 

"Think I want to do it like I just did, really. Nothing fancy, just a mention and move on." 

Nick makes a note on his list, and looks back up at Niall. "I can do that. And you know both you and your publicist will get to approve anything before it goes out."

Niall smiles, wide and easy. "It's been a while, but I do remember how this works." 

Nick clicks _record_ and places his phone between them. 

~*~ 

Nick doesn't hear from Niall until the day before the article is released. He knows everything's been approved for publication, and word from Alana is that he's extremely happy with it, but Nick hasn't actually heard back from Niall himself, which is somewhat surprising, as they'd gotten along pretty well. Not that it's all that unusual for Nick to have a great time interviewing someone and then never hear from them again. 

"You could have told me, is all I'm saying," Nick says. He's been after Harry about it by phone and text, but it's the first time they've managed to meet up since Harry's show. It's not that he actually minds, but Nick will take any excuse to give Harry shit. 

"I forgot?" Harry says. He gulps down half his drink, looking at something three inches to the left of Nick's face. "Guess I didn't really think about it." 

Nick flicks his arm and takes the rest of the drink, even though he knows he's going to hate it. It has cucumber in it. But Harry deserves to have his drink taken, and to get the next round for the table, which is growing ever more populated as the evening wears on. 

"He wanted me to do his coming out interview, you arse. That's not something you _forget_." Nick pokes him until he gets up and watches his progress towards the bar. Good. 

A quick look around the table shows that everyone else is already involved in a conversation. Henry's gesticulating wildly, probably about his new line, Pixie is doing the same, mostly to flash her shiny new ring around, and Ian is draped over Aimee's back, whispering in her ear. Nick's pretty sure they'll be gone for the night soon. He leans back to wait for a fresh drink and drags his phone out of his pocket, surprised to find a text from Niall on the screen. 

_Article looks great ! Can I take you to dinner to say thanks ?_

He stares at the message for a few minutes, nodding along when Aimee prods him to, but he really has no idea how he should respond. Niall's about to come out publicly, and he wants to take Nick to dinner. 

He's still debating what to say when Harry sits down again, sliding an unknown cocktail in front of Nick. 

"This isn't what I ordered," Nick says. He hadn't really ordered anything. He takes a sip anyway. It's light and fruity and bubbly and absolutely delicious, but he has to save face. "Get me my usual." 

Harry takes the phone out of his hand and looks at the message for a second before typing something, turning out of Nick's reach until he's finished. 

_Sounds great. Tomorrow?_

Nick starts typing out an accusation and apology, but a new text comes through before he's finished. 

_I'll pick you up at 8 !!_

It's terrible, but even by text Niall sounds excited, and Nick hates to be that person. Also, he really had enjoyed his time with Niall, so there's no real harm in going, except that he's going to have to find a way to get back at Harry. Hopefully before he leaves for LA at the end of the week. 

No matter what, it'll be a good story for the book he's maybe been thinking about in slightly more than theoretical terms lately. 

~*~ 

Nick's new house has an entire room that is nothing but wardrobes. He's got stacks of trousers, two full walls of shirts and blouses, half a wall filled with three layers of shoes (including five pairs of platform stilettoes in his size, only one of which had been a gift), and he has absolutely no idea what to wear. 

"He likes pubs, right? Having a pint with mates?" he asks Harry, who has his feet kicked up on the day bed by the window, because Nick apparently can't get rid of him. "Also, you're paying for cleaning if you spill that wine." 

Harry waves his glass around without looking up from his phone, or looking at how close he's coming to actually spilling. A drop slips down the side of the glass and Harry licks at his fingers to get rid of it. 

"He's not taking you to meet his mates for a pint," Harry says. "You know half of them anyway. And you know that because you're being weird and nervous." Harry narrows his eyes and sits forward, elbows on his knees. "You actually fancy him, don't you?" 

"I think you're confusing me for Matt Fincham," Nick says, turning back to his rack of blouses. Away from Harry, because his face is probably turning at least a tiny bit red. This thing, whatever it is, has taken him completely by surprise. It's one thing to fancy that popstar who suddenly grew up and got hot, and it's quite another to have that fit popstar asking you to dinner five years later. "It's just dinner, anyway. I should text Finchy. Get a selfie, make him jealous." 

Harry rolls his eyes. "Wear that jumper from your first collection. The one with Pig on it." 

Pig hears her name and stops snoring, lifting her head to whine in his direction, begging for attention. Nick detours to scratch her ears until she's snorting happily again, before pulling out the jumper Harry's suggested. It's worn and soft, and yeah, it's perfect. 

Nick only kicks Harry a little bit on his way past, as thanks. 

~*~ 

Nick's halfway through his own glass of wine when the doorbell goes, and Harry follows him out into the entryway when Nick goes to answer it. 

Niall's got a smile on his face, but that turns when he looks to the left of Nick and finds that he's not alone. 

"You're not coming," Niall says, pointing at Harry. "Table's booked for two only." 

"I could do," Harry says. "They'd let me in. It's my smile." 

Nick steps back to give Niall room to come in if he wants. "Hello," Nick says, since they've skipped past the actual greeting phase of this conversation. "Come in? I can pour you some wine. If he's not drank all of it." 

"Heeyyyyyy," Harry whines. 

Niall shrugs. "Car's waiting, actually. But I'd like to buy you a drink once we sit down." 

Harry pokes Nick in the back. "Told you," he whispers loud enough that surely Niall's heard. Nick can't see him react at all, though, and he's probably used to Harry anyway. 

Nick hip checks Harry out of the way to get his coat, tells Harry not to give away his dog when she starts snoring, and follows Niall out to the car.

~*~

The restaurant is small and buzzing nicely when they get there. Niall seems to know the hostess, because she hugs him and kisses him on the cheek before leading them to a table in the back, away from the big windows that border the street. They're not invisible, but no one is paying them any attention. At least not yet. Nick remembers how this works, though. 

Maybe it won't be as crazy with Niall as it had always been with Harry. 

He picks up the wine list. "So, come here often?" 

Niall laughs, sharp and just loud enough to get them a dirty look from the next table over. "You trying to pull?" 

Nick buries his face in his hands. He honestly hadn't meant it that way. But he's not opposed to pulling Niall, just not actively trying. At least not yet. He's still a bit too off balance to go for it quite so forwardly. 

"Because you can, if you want." 

"I didn't mean to," Nick says. He watches the smile start to slide off Niall's face, and some light starts to go out somewhere, though that's probably just Nick's imagination. "I just mean, you knew her. And she knows you." It's not even three minutes into dinner, they've barely even sat down and Nick is already putting his foot in his mouth. This isn't what he'd planned. "Not that I'm not interested," he adds quickly. "You're well fit, I should be so lucky. It's just…Harry's right, this is a date? Not just a dinner to say thank you?" 

"It can be." 

"I hate dating," Nick says, almost reflexively. It's such a standard line for him these days. He used to say it on the radio, now he says it to his friends and family whenever they start in on how he's still single and approaching thirty-five. He's got a whole speech and it comes tumbling out of his mouth before he can stop it. Maybe he shouldn't have had that wine before Niall had come to pick him up. Damn Harry. "Dates are awkward and weird. Back when I was on Breakfast I only had a few nights when I could stay out late and I usually wanted to see my friends. I'm not on the same schedule but I still hate small talk. It's boring." 

He's dated a bit in the last few years, usually friends he sleeps with for a few months before one of them realizes that's all they're doing. Nick's still looking for that obsessive nature of his to kick in, for something that takes up all his attention, someone. He'd thought Harry might be that someone, for a bit. Until he'd realized that Harry just doesn't date. Doesn't do relationships at all. At least he'd figured that out he before he'd gone and broken his own heart over him. 

"We're not exactly strangers, Grimmy." 

They're not exactly friends either, but before Nick fucks up more and lets that slip, the waiter comes to take their drink order. Nick requests a glass of red wine from California that he vaguely recognized from Harry's cellar. Niall turns it into a bottle and requests more time to decide on their meals. 

"God, this is awkward," Nick says, scrubbing a hand through his hair. Niall deserves so much better than what he's getting from Nick, which, right now, is basically recycled radio chatter. "This is why I hate dating." 

"This can just be a thanks for the article," Niall says. He's looking about two inches to the side of Nick's face. Nick misses the eye contact very suddenly. "It was exactly what I wanted it to be. You did good." 

"I'm doing this part so badly," Nick says. He's here, Harry told him it was a date, Niall told him it is a date, Nick wants it to be a date, because as much as he hates dating, he wants a boyfriend. A partner. It's too early to tell if Niall could be that, but he should probably at least give Niall a chance. He'll regret it later if he doesn't. 

He's saved for a minute when the wine arrives, and he can gulp down half his glass in one go. He's vaguely aware that it's an expensive drink, and it's quite good, so he should maybe appreciate it more, but Niall had offered to buy dinner, and even if he hadn't, Nick isn't exactly struggling these days. 

"My producer used to fancy you. Finchy. He'd never say it that way because he's such a lad, but he did. I always liked you, too, but Harry's been my friend for ages, and you had Zayn's face in the band, and there was always all the shit that came around just for being friends with Haz. I didn't really pay much attention to the rest of you lot, if I'm honest." 

Niall is looking at him again, which is good, but his face looks like it's been carefully arranged not to show anything, not to give anything away. Probably part of the popstar training, Nick thinks. 

"You're not what I expected," Nick admits. "You were in the background back then, but then you invited me over and made me lunch and chose me for your article. I know you don't want it to be a big deal, but it's still scary, and I'm glad you feel safe enough to ask me to write that for you." 

"What about now?" Niall asks, quietly. He's drumming his fingers on the table, fiddling with his fork. 

"I'm glad I'm here," Nick says. "On a date. With you. Even if you don't want it to be now that you've seen what a nutter I am." 

Nick watches as Niall loosens up again; he leans back in his chair, lets his smile open up again and stops bothering his silverware. 

"I can handle a bit of crazy," Niall says. 

~*~ 

Niall doesn't invite Nick back to his after dinner, which is a bit disappointing, but he's contemplating offering up a nightcap when he realizes the lights in his lounge are still on, flickering blue as someone watches something on telly. That'll be Harry, then, and Nick is absolutely not inviting Niall back for a mini One Direction reunion instead of sex. If sex is even on the table. The beginning of dinner had been terribly awkward, but once Nick had managed to get his foot out of his mouth, it had gone well. Niall talks a bit too much about gold for Nick to really enjoy, but it turns out he also helped write Nick's favorite song this week, which he's had on repeat for three days. They'd ended up laughing over a ridiculous promo Nick had done last week, which had taken hours to do, because the producers hadn't believed that Nick really was that bad at singing, despite years of supporting evidence. Even though they haven't really run into each other at all in the last few years, they know and work with a lot of the same people, which had made talking easy. It felt a lot more like talking to a friend than being on a date. 

He does get Niall to walk him to the door. It feels a bit like college, standing in his doorway, wondering if he's going to get to kiss his date or not. They are standing close, Niall's toes only a few inches away from his. Nick has to look down to meet his eyes; he's shorter than Nick really noticed, somehow. Something about it makes him want to reach out and pull Niall in, protect him, make him feel amazing. Most of that he's not going to do on his front step, but he can at least get started. 

Niall's face is already tilted up, pale skin glowing in the dim light from the street and it's easy to lean down enough to line up their lips and kiss him. Gentle at first. Niall's hand comes up to hold Nick in place, fingertips on Nick's jaw, drawing him in. 

Nick is long past the days where One Direction fans would stalk him in hopes of getting a glimpse of Harry, but it's still weird to be making out with Niall on his front steps. 

"I'd invite you inside," Nick whispers against Niall's lips. "But I've apparently still got company." 

Niall pulls Nick closer by his belt loops, their hips not quite lining up, but close enough that Nick's cock is definitely getting interested. 

"Next time," Niall says. He's not stopping, though. Instead, he's grinding on Nick's thigh a bit, holding onto his hips, and opening his mouth wide for Nick. 

Nick is leaning into it more when Niall pulls away, eyes bright, lips red and inviting. "I should go. But I'll call you tomorrow." 

"You better," Nick says, pulling him in for one more chaste kiss. He watches as Niall hops down the steps and strides out to his car, looking back once before he climbs in the back seat. Nick is too far away to really see his smile, but he's pretty sure it's there. 

~*~ 

It's another week before Nick gets to bring Niall home. 

In between, they meet for lunch with Harry (which turns into lunch with everyone Harry knows, including his mum and sister because he's leaving at the end of the week and everyone wants to celebrate with him while he's still here), at an event at Soho House where Laura's DJing (by accident, really. Nick's there for Topman and had no idea Niall would be there at all, but the evening ends with a bit of making out in the toilets whilst Laura is packing up her things), and dinner out with just Niall (interrupted by a call from Collette to say that his house was flooding). 

Harry leaves on Friday morning, and as soon as he's gone, Nick texts Niall. _Just kicked Harold out of the country. Stole his passport so he can't come back. Come over for dinner?_

It takes about an hour to get a response, and Nick is only slightly panicking because Niall had told him he'd be in meetings all day, but Nick is the type of person to have his phone out for when he inevitably gets bored in those meetings. 

Clearly Niall is the more professional of the two of them. 

_Love to ! What time ?_ comes through right after Nick puts his phone down after checking if he'd missed any notifications. 

Nick calculates two hours after when he's finished for the day to allow time to cook, and sends Niall the details whilst mentally reviewing the contents of his fridge. He decides to pick up a few pizzas and a salad from Waitrose in the end, because his meetings had run late and the central London congestion was worse than usual. He'll pull out the full roast dinner when he has a full day off. He considers himself to be quite a decent at cooking these days, but dinner is an excuse and they both know it, the way the rest of the week has gone. 

Nick might be a bit frustrated. 

Niall arrives right on time, holding flowers and a six-pack of lager. He pushes into Nick's space to kiss him hello. It's not much more than a peck on the lips, but it sort of feels like a promise for later, since they both know why they're here tonight, and it's not just for the conversation, as much fun as that is. 

The oven timer goes off when Niall is in the middle of a beer and a story about working with Years & Years this week. Nick's heard many stories from his various popstar friends, but Niall has a knack for telling stories that makes you feel like you're remembering along with him. It's a different sort of charisma from Harry, who draws every eye in the room. Having dinner with Niall feels like they've been close for ages instead of for a few weeks. 

Niall clears the plates to the kitchen when they're finished. 

"I've got ice cream for dessert, if you like," Nick says. "Waitrose has this new line that my friend Daisy swears by. Organic, like." 

Niall reaches up to close the freezer door and step into Nick's space until his mouth is nearly brushing Nick's own. 

"I think I want something else," he says. He sets his hand on Nick's hip, a light touch. It's doing a very good job of reminding Nick exactly what they're doing tonight. 

He smirks. "Yeah?" 

"You got a bed around here somewhere?" 

"Who says I'm going to let you eat pudding in bed?" Nick asks. "You'll get my sheets all sticky and crumbly." 

Niall smirks, eyes darkening. "Not if I'm eating you." 

That's — more arousing than it has any right to be, Nick thinks. He wants to press Niall up against the kitchen counters, but he'd asked for a bed, and Nick vaguely remembers that he's got a dodgy knee. Maybe they can work up to kitchen sex, but the bed is good for a first time. 

"Through here," he says, pulling back so he can lead Niall. It's a bit absurd, grabbing Niall's hand to lead him through the house, but Niall doesn't seem to mind, squeezing Nick's fingers as they go. 

Nick closes the door behind them, just in case Pig wants to follow them upstairs. Nick's had that happen before, and as much as he loves her, no one wants a dog trying to get in on the action in bed. It's just weird. 

Once they're closed off from the rest of the house though, it gets — weird isn't the right term — but things freeze a bit. They're fully clothed and facing each other across a few feet of space, waiting to see who is going to make the first move, even though they both already know what's about to happen. 

Nick breaks it, because they're both adults, and acting like they're not is just stupid at this point. He takes a step forward and grabs onto Niall's hips, pulling him in. He gets his fingers up under his t-shirt, reaching bare skin — finally — and feels the way Niall pitches towards him. He tugs on Niall's shirt. 

"Take this off, yeah?" 

Niall seems reluctant to step back, so Nick does it first, pulling his shirt own shirt off and reaching for his belt, grinning when Niall finally catches on and starts doing it himself. Taking off skinny jeans is never easy or quick, and Nick finds himself laughing when one leg catches on his foot and he topples over onto the bed, jeans half off and dangling. 

"Let me help you with that," Niall says. He's managed to take his off completely, probably because they weren't quite as tight as Nick's, but he's still in his pants and socks, which is also a bit ridiculous. Nick can't help the laugh that escapes, but it's fine because Niall's laughing, too, even as he drops down to his knees (Niall is an adult and can worry about his own knees, Nick thinks. He's not about to say anything that will stop where this seems to be going.) and works the tight denim off Nick's feet. And he stays there until Nick sits up on his elbows to look. 

Niall skims his hands up Nick's thighs until they're toying with the edges of Nick's pants. Nick isn't fully hard yet, but he's going to get there pretty quickly if Niall keeps going like that with that look on his face. He looks _hungry_. 

"Can I — " 

Nick lies back and shimmies his pants off his hips. Niall helps him get them all the way down his legs, and then he's completely naked and Niall is almost, but not quite, touching his cock. Nick's dick twitches when Niall thumbs over the crease in his thigh. 

"Harry didn't warn me about this," Niall says, closing his fingers around Nick and licking his lips. "He never told me what you were packing." 

"No mentioning Harold in bed," Nick says. He's smiling though, because it's always nice to be complimented. "You can complain about him after you blow me." 

"What, like a reward?" Niall's got his hand properly on Nick now, slowly stroking him, thumb working over the head and getting Nick wet. 

"No," Nick says. He reaches down to touch Niall's face, the corner of his mouth, and Niall's tongue darts out to taste. It sends a pulse right down Nick's spine to his dick, and Niall's smile grows wider when he feels it. "Your reward will be me blowing you." 

"Sounds good to me," Niall says, and leans in. 

Nick hadn't spent any time imagining what this might look like before he'd written his article, mostly because he hadn't had any idea that it could become reality, and whilst Nick might talk about fancying straight boys all the time, it's not something he really cares to do in his off-time. It's just not productive for anyone. 

Since the interview, Nick's thought about it a bit, but mostly in abstract terms. He'd not gone to look up old One Direction photoshoots or concert footage, and when he'd gone he'd mostly paid attention to Harry anyway, so his memories were fuzzy, and he'd only had the Niall he'd gotten to know whilst sitting in his garden that afternoon for reference. He's not prepared for how soft Niall's mouth is on his, how red his lips get in contrast to his pale face. The blue of his eyes pop as they start to water a bit, with Niall breathing hard through his nose. He doesn't go down all the way, but he's quite good with his hands, stroking up to meet his lips, spreading wet all over, putting the best kind of pressure and friction on Nick's cock. 

Nick is nearly thirty-five and it's almost embarrassing how quickly he's on the edge. He digs his fingers into Niall's hair, but doesn't try to move or direct him, he just needs to touch. After a minute he moves his fingers to Niall's lips, the edge of his mouth where Niall is taking him in, fingers skimming his own cock as Niall moves down in slow strokes, tongue doing something amazing under the head of his dick. 

"God, you're gorgeous," Nick moans out. 

Niall pulls off for a second to grin at Nick. "Thanks!" he says, before going straight back to it. 

Nick gasps out a warning when he's close, and Niall pulls off, hand speeding up, and it's not long before Nick is coming, his orgasm curling his toes as it pulls out of him. Niall pulls him back into his mouth as Nick comes down, sucking and easing him down with a gentle tongue until Nick pulls him off. 

"Come up here," Nick says, holding out his hand for Niall to use as leverage to stand. Nick doesn't let go, though and tugs until Niall is sprawled out on top of him and Nick can kiss him. He tastes like cock, but his mouth is warm and slick, lips soft against his, stubble scraping against Nick's own. He'll have beard burn tomorrow, they both will, but Nick's not on telly for a few weeks, so it's fine. Nick's come is slick and sticky between them, getting tangled in both their hair, threatening to stick them together if they stay where they are for much longer. Nick almost doesn't care, except that he's done that before, and it's not exactly pleasant. 

Instead he sits up and flips them over, rearranging them both until they're fully on the bed, Niall drowning in Nick's fluffy pillows. Even now, he's not what Nick expects. He's long and lean and pale, with more hair on his chest than Nick would have thought. And still no tattoos, despite the company he knows Niall keeps. His cock is hard and flushed against his belly, and Nick licks his lips without even thinking about it. Niall laughs a bit, but that stops when Nick leans down and gets his mouth on Niall's chest, starting with his collarbones. He nips his way down, leaving a trail of red marks across his skin, trusting Niall to stop him if he doesn't like it. 

He doesn't. 

Instead, he's _loud_. He lets out a long string of obscenities and Nick's name, over and over as Nick makes his way down Niall's chest, stopping to bite at his nipples and lick across his ribs and belly before palming his cock and finally taking it into his mouth. Nick's had years to perfect his techniques and Niall is the perfect size for Nick to pull out all his best tricks. He slides all the way down in one smooth move, swallowing around him, pressing his tongue up against the vein on the underside before pulling back to breathe around him a bit. 

Niall doesn't stop talking as Nick goes to work with his tongue, drawing patterns and seeking out sensitive spots. Niall doesn't stop moving either, hips thrusting up to get more, thighs flexing around Nick's shoulders, so Nick pins him with his hands. He slows a bit to take in how small and delicate Niall's hips look under his hands. Nick knows his hands are a bit absurd, but they look good on Niall, and he decides that he definitely wants more opportunities to look at that. 

It turns out that Nick doesn't need a verbal warning from Niall when he's about to come, he can feel it in the way he's trembling and bucking his hips desperate for more of what Nick's doing. His talking gets even louder, too, the words lost and mixed up until they stop altogether when Niall arches his back and comes down Nick's throat. Nick swallows and keeps up the gentle suction until Niall's voice comes back, low and rough and gentle. He relaxes by inches under Nick's touch, going fully boneless as Nick lets him go, lets his softening dick flop down onto his belly, still twitching a bit in the aftermath. 

Nick crawls back up and lies beside him, toying with Niall's chest until he opens his eyes. 

It's not awkward, not exactly, but post-sex talking is weird. Especially when it's someone you don't know very well. But Niall is smiling and reaching for Nick. His hand lands on Nick's chest, and Nick rolls a bit closer so he can kiss Niall, slow and soft, until they're both sleepy and blinking slowly. Nick thinks momentarily that maybe he should get up and clean them off, but he's comfortable where he is, and then he's asleep. 

~*~ 

Nick wakes up first in the morning, but he climbs back into bed after having a piss and cleaning his teeth. He doesn't know how Niall would react, and whilst chances are that he'd probably be better at waking up alone than Nick, he doesn't want to take that chance. Instead he sits up against the headboard and grabs his phone to see what the rest of the world has been up to whilst they were sleeping. 

Which isn't a whole lot, as it turns out, so Nick ends up toying with Niall's bedhead where he's sprawled out on his back until he wakes up. When he does start blinking and stretching Nick slides back down next to him to kiss him good morning, since he's already been in to brush his teeth and clean up a bit. 

It's fun to kiss Niall awake, to feel him go from sleepily accepting Nick's mouth on his to kissing back and finally to rolling over on top of Nick, straddling his hips and taking some measure of control. 

_Lie back and think of England_ , Nick thinks. Except that Niall is Irish so that won't do at all. Also he wants to do more than just lie back. He grabs onto Niall's hips and helps move him where Nick wants him, so that his arse is pressed back against Nick's dick, which is getting very interested in the proceedings. Niall goes easily, grinding back and feeling Nick out. There's no real aim to anything yet, just friction and kisses, and they haven't even said _hello_ to each other yet. 

They keep going like that, even after Nick gets a hand between them to wrap around Niall's dick, stroking him against the way they're moving, feeling the way he curls into it until he comes, groaning against Nick's mouth. He repays the favor, too, once he's got his breath back. He shifts off to the side until he can get Nick in hand and starts wanking him, steady and tight. Nick comes after a few minutes, splattering his belly, again. He's just cleaned up from last night. 

Oh well, he can worry about it when he doesn't have Niall half on top of him, hand moving up his sides to play with his hair. He pulls Nick's quiff down in front of his face, and then laughs at him. 

"Not very nice of you," Nick says, taking control of his face again. He pushes his hair away, and finds Niall's face right there, within easy reach, so he pulls him down into another kiss. 

"Hi." 

"Hiya." Nick touches the corner of his mouth and feels Niall open up more for him. 

"Been wanting to do that for ages," Niall says when they break apart. 

"What, fuck with my quiff?" 

Niall leans in for another kiss before falling to the side, resting his head on the pillow next to Nick's. 

"No, you idiot. Kiss you. Take you to bed." Niall sounds almost shy about it, but it's doing wonders for Nick's ego. 

"Oh yeah?"

"Remember that party we went to? Beckham's. Five years ago maybe? Thought you looked fit that night." 

Nick vaguely remembers the party. Remembers that Liam had looked like Beckham's younger clone. Remembers draping himself on Niall at some point early in the morning. He definitely remembers the hangover. 

"You should have said something," Nick says. "I was up for it. Probably. If I wasn't too pissed." 

Niall shrugs. "Nah. Wouldn't have worked then." He rolls onto his back and looks at Nick's ceiling, and Nick reaches for his hand in case he wants some support for whatever he's about to say. It's not going to be light, Nick can already tell. 

"I knew, back then. But I didn't want to. There was too much going on and I didn't want to add more stress to it. I didn't deal all that well sometimes, with all the people. Everyone wanting a piece of us." Niall pauses and looks over. "Besides. You were Harry's." 

It's true, in a way. Nick is Harry's, in the same way he's also Pixie's and Henry's and Gillian's and Emily's and Daisy's. He belongs to all his friends, but that doesn't mean every bit of him is claimed already. 

"I could be yours, too." Nick says. "If you want." 

Niall pulls him in for another slow kiss. 

"Yeah," he breathes out when he lets Nick go sometime later. "I think I do."


End file.
